Brooklyn avant-pop lady Empress of just unveiled this new video for single "Icon". Directed by Eli Born, it was a very collaborative process with a cinematographer the singer had grown to admire: "…we talked about what the song meant, how I wanted it to look, where we wanted to shoot, and how we would get the feeling of the song out of these locations. It is by far my favorite music video I’ve made." Empress Of recently completed a headline tour of North America and some support dates with Purity Ring in Europe.

We’ve been following producer Jordy Asher of Boots since the days he was playing in duo Blonds, but would have never imagined he would go on to become Beyoncé’s main producer and – most importantly – lead the trip hop revival, something we had been waiting for quite some time. Ok, he may not be exactly an emerging artist anymore (although as an artist he’s far from established), but this kind of creative output is very relevant, and adds another element to what looks like a growing NYC psychedelic wave – after a few years dominated by the folk revival and the bare and bones power rock sound of the ’90s. Check out the video for C.U.R.E. below (animation by Anthony Schepperd), and don’t miss Boots live at Rough Trade tonight (11.13).

It was a sweet surprise to see NYC’s Higgins listed as one of the bands scheduled to play one of the last shows at Cameo Gallery. The group’s debut album was a Deli NYC record of the Month so long ago we can’t even retrieve that post – that section of the site was so obsolete it could not be kept. That happened around 2006, since that’s the album’s release year, but the group has been active since the early aughts. The debut was a mellow, melodic record with lots of character and roots and bluesy elements, including some songs that sounded like outtakes from The Beatles’ Abbey Road, which is way more mind blowing than it sounds. Since then, the band kept at it quietly, so much so that we never realized they were still around, notwithstanding the three following full length releases, culminating in 2012’s "Straight A’s," a record that elegantly develops the gentlemanly crooning of Otis Redding and Chris Isaac. Let’s reciprocate the gentlemanlyness and celebrate one of the best kept NYC secrets at Cameo on November 14. I’ll wear their 2006 t-shirt!

 P.S. Gentlewomen are invited too.

We booked electro-pop duo My Body upstairs at Pianos during the 2015 CMJ Music Marathon, and we were impressed big time. Not only these guys write beautiful avant-pop songs, but they are a blast to watch live too: Jordan Bagnall sings heavenly and in pitch perfect fashion (that’s the kind of fashion we like!), while Darren Bridenbeck masters the… luminous pad (?) while entertaining with hilarious moves that walk the line between dorky and uber cool. The band will be performing at Cameo Gallery tomorrow (11.12) – just weeks before the venue’s closing. On the bill also two other local artists: Lemonade and Teen Commandments – do not miss!

After gracing the cover of our 2014 Fall/CMJ issue, Sunflower Bean went on to become one of the most buzzworthy emerging NYC bands. Their solid live show helped them land opening slots for the likes of DIIV, Best Coast, and Wolf Alice among others (they’ll be tourin gthe UK this month with The Vaccines and Palma Violets). The trio’s psych rock finds its main inspiration in the early, bluesy days of that genre, but with new single "Wall Watcher" (streaming), the band updates that sound through a more concise production, featuring guitar sounds and vocal melodies that transcend the ’60s. The band will celebrate the release of their debut LP "Human Ceremony" at Bowery Ballroom on February 25th, a few weeks before embarking for the SXSW festival. – Photo by Crista Simiriglia.

If, in the US, the music equivalent of horror movies was as popular as its visual counterpart, a band like Brooklyn’s Lushes would be very happy indeed – although, to stay in charachter, they would frown and stare at you lifelessly. For cultural reasons, middle Europe (who has always been ok with celebrating tragic despair) is a lot more open to strident atmospheres and dissonant sounds than America. No wonder then Lushes is currently traveling through places like Stockholm and Berlin (where they opened for Kurt Vile), finding audiences who appreciate the kind of dark enterteinment they can provide. The trio recently released their full lenght debut "Service Industry," which features a series of raw, understated tunes celebrating tension, dissonance and aural desolation. The record forges a rather unique identity for this band, that will be performing live at Brooklyn’s Baranquilla on Novbember 15.

"Direct Message" is the first single from KOH-IZT, the new collaborative project between Joe Valle (drummer of Wet) and Orlando Volcano (owner of Escape From Nature, the label releasing the compilation this track is included in). Established in 2015, Escape From Nature is a boutique record label based in New York which "observes, disregards and redefines the boundaries of what club music is and what it can be," which is certainly an ambitious mission statement. The duo keeps faith to it with a truly bizarre track that’s dancy without featuring the routine four on the floor. The crucial question here seems to be: will people really feel like shaking their butts to music this unconventional? We tried and… well, we felt like it! 

Trying to convey irony or sarcasm in the Facebook profile’s "Short Description" box is one of Brooklyn bands’ favorite hobbies. Indie rockers Narc Twain do so by wrapping the word band in quotes: ‘ Narc Twain is a "band" ‘ – they state. Well, quotes or no quotes, they certainly sound like a "band," and a rather tight and punhcy one for that matter. Yeah because "bands" don’t always sound like bands (or viceversa), in particular when they are sloppy and unawarely out of tune. Something these guys are not. So, yes, NT "members": The Deli is ok with you removing those quotes! The quintet unveiled two singles from their upcoming debut EP, the release of which will be celebrated through a show at the Knit on December 3rd. Their sound seems to incarnate the paradox of a fast and furious – and sometimes dissonant – band led by a… "gentleman." After the fierce intro of "Downhill," we were all expecting the guttural scream of a rabid lead singer, but were instead surprised by Tommy Siegel’s (of Jukebox the Ghost fame) rather polite delivery. This inconsistency kind of works though, shifting the band’s sound towards a sonic terrain poppier than we had anticipated. Check out also second single Future Shock.

The recent reinassance of the slacker rock sound of the ’90s in the NYC scene is something so obvious that can be indisputably filed in the skinny folder of "absolute truths" – and we call ourselves relativists! Not many bands saw this coming as early as Collingswood, New Jersey’s trio Aspiga. Their sound, obviously affected by a youth spent listening ad nauseam to bands like Husker Du and Dinosaur Jr, has remained very consistent since their 2010 debut "Tense," through a remarkable number of releases. Latest full length "What Happened To You?" sees vast improvements in the recording and production, and features noteworthy single "Wide Eyes," which develops their songwriting in more unpredictable directions. Aspiga will be performing live at Aviv on November 12.

We added this song to The Deli’s playlist of Best slacker rock/garage songs by emerging NYC artists – check it out!

Boastin one of the best band names ever, Dinowalrus have been at it for quite some time now (they started in 2008). In that time frame, their sound has evolved quite radically from the crazy psychedelic beginning. The band had a couple of really prolific years with two full lengths released in 2013 ("Best Behavior") and 2014 ("Complexion"), both packed with quality songs that underscore the band’s transition towards a more linear synth-pop structure, while referencing new wave bands with psych tendencies like Talk Talk and Psychedelic Furs. The opening track of their latest album, "Lucite," perfectly illustrates this metamorphosis. Check out our favorite song "Tropical Depression," below, and don’t miss Dinowalrus live tonight (11.10), opening for UK legends The Charlatans at Webster Hall, or at The Knit on 12.15.

We added this song to The Deli’s playlist of Best Psych Rock songs by emerging NYC artists – check it out!

Did you happen to watch the Country Music Awards the other night? I will admit I flipped to it for a second… and I’m a bit confused because there wasn’t any country music, not sure what you call that stuff. However there’s an Ontario fella making his rounds these days that makes REAL country music. His name is Daniel Romano and he hails from Welland, Ontario. He used to play punk rock but now has settled on making old time western tunes. He has a number of releases including 2011’s "Sleep Beneath the Willow," which has a very soothing folk feel to it. 2013’s "Come Cry With Me" sounds like your grandparents’ country music and before you turn your nose up just have a listen and enjoy the wonderful melodies – they might make you cry though. This year he released his latest album "If I’ve Only One Time Asking" and with this album he really comes into his own making the same old time country with a more original feel to it. Many of the songs seamlessly blend into the following track which makes for a very pleasureable listen. The best example of this is tracks 2 and 3 "Old Fires Die" and "Strange Faces". Both great tunes, definite highlights of the album. Daniel spends a lot of time touring through the USA but we’re lucky enough to have him right here in Toronto tomorrow night at the Mod Club. Take it from a rocker… this is bad ass music. Enjoy. – Kris  Gies

Shades of classic ’90s era dreamgaze can be found woven through the music of Brooklyn’s No Honeymoon (not to be confused with shoegazing colleagues ohnomoon – there’s almost an anagram there!). Their sophomore EP “Together Alone” (the second one in quick succession after debut "I Wanna See Everything") presents three well produced tracks recorded at Converse Rubber Tracks studio. Lead cut “Yes/No” (streaming) opens with Slowdive/Souvlaki-style looping, which soon gives way to a fuller band sound. Fuzz-buzz guitars and fluid drum fills echo the band Ride, and are complemented with a female voice. Melodic guitar lines emerge between vocal segments, further enhancing the songs overall charm. Unlike role-model band of the shoegazer sound My Bloody Valentine, the vocals presented here aren’t buried under deep layers in the mix, but rather quite clear, and vocalist/guitarist Cait Smith exudes a level of passion and appeal with her semi-distressed delivery. The band has been playing a number of shows around town lately and this EP can be had at their bandcamp page at the always popular name-your-own-price. – Dave Cromwell